Genelec active monitors are long time choice for Nightwish

Genelec active monitors have been used throughout the whole process of recording and mixing audio for new album and film by power metal band Nightwish.

The band, from Finland, has just recently completed their work on new project Imaginaerium. Featuring a brand new album and feature film, the ground-breaking project will be the band’s seventh studio album. Imaginaerium will tell the story of a composer who is reminiscing about his youth while on his deathbed.

The project’s main recording sessions took place at Petrax Studios in Finland in addition to some sessions at Finnvox Studios in Finland and Angel Studios in the UK. During the sessions the Genelec 8240A bi-amplified DSP monitoring system was used to guarantee similar sound characteristics independent of the room acoustics - a handy benefit of the Genelec AutoCal calibration. Being able to perfectly reproduce the intricate sounds that are typical of Nightwish’s symphonic compositions, the 8240As are ideal for the project.

Terho Savolainen, marketing manager of Genelec, commented on the relationship between Nightwish and Genelec. “We are obviously delighted that Nightwish are once again using Genelec monitors for one of their albums. We have worked with the band for many years and have seen them grow into the worldwide phenomenon that they are now - a bit like Genelec speakers. Imaginaerium will be something special and we are all looking forward to hearing and seeing the fruits of the band’s labours.”

Compact and powerful, the 8240A is designed to be ideal in applications where a wide frequency response is needed but space is limited. This makes it a great monitoring tool for such applications as recording studios, post-production houses, broadcast installations and mobile production vehicles.

The 8240A builds on the rock-solid technology of the 8050A and features a flow optimized reflex port that provides solid, clear and articulated low frequencies without compression, distortion or port noises. The advanced Genelec directivity control waveguide and the minimum diffraction enclosure creates an astoundingly flat frequency response both on and off axis.

The carefully designed crossover filters have extremely steep roll-off characteristics that feed dedicated power amplifiers for each of the low distortion drivers. The 8240A also features magnetic shielding, overload protection circuitry and versatile room response controls as standard. The Genelec loudspeaker manager control network and software further enhances the performance of the 8240A. It features adjustment of levels, distance delays and flexible room response improvement equalization with a reliable and robust automated calibration system.

Each 8240A comes with an isolation positioner/decoupler, which eliminates colouration of the sound by decoupling the monitor from its mounting surface. This also allows the monitor to be angled so that its acoustic axis points directly at the listener. The 8240A includes integrated rear support points for floor and wall stands, with an additional M10 threaded mounting hole on the enclosure base.